Kingdom Hearts: Trinity of Fates
by Aros13
Summary: *Volume 1: Marvel* As a new threat known only as the Voided attack the worlds, Sora, Riku, and Kairi must part ways on separate journeys to investigate: What are the Voided, who is the Outcast, and why is he out to exact revenge on King Mickey? This volume delves into Kairi's side of the story as she is joined by Donald and Goofy to complete her own Keyblade training.
1. Prologue

_Only one who devotes himself to a cause_

_with his whole strength and soul_

_can be a true master._

_For this reason,_

_mastery demands **all** of a person._

–Albert Einstein

The Keyblade Graveyard. A deserted wasteland left with only the remnants of fallen warriors. Warriors that fought for light and dark. A war that ended with dawn and dusk, a stalemate between good and bad, neither getting the upper hand. Which is precisely why The Outcast chose this place to settle the deal…

From the cool night sky above the dusty battleground, eight pillars of light connected to the ground in a semicircle. Out of each pillar, a figure stepped out and the pillars vanished. Together, they were an odd-looking group; no two people looking very similar. A ninth pillar erupted in front of the strange characters and from it stepped out a tall, thin man in a trench coat. No facial features could be distinguished from the shadow cast by the matching fedora. The Outcast.

"It's nice to finally meet all of you in one place," the Outcast began in a vaguely mechanized voice. "First, I'd like to check and make sure that we are all here." He walked to the man on the farthest left.

The first man was beginning to develop grey and white hair, had a strong build and was dressed in a green general uniform. "The Commander."

The next person was a large stout man with a gruff face. But the most noticeable feature was his robotic eye, arm and leg, continually producing a small whirring. "The Cyborg."

Next up was an old man, standing straight and attentive, dressed just as an average servant would with wisps of white hair and hollow cheeks. "The Butler."

The Outcast continued to a nervous-looking man in a white lab coat and spectacles. "The Scientist."

The next man definitely stood out the most, for he wasn't a man at all. He had a bald head and red eyes, but his skin was a cloudy blue and only a loin cloth was wrapped around his waist. The air seemed to grow cold around him. "The God."

The sixth member had a vicious glare in his eye. A large scraggly black beard hung from his face and he dressed in pirate garb with a captain's hat perched on his head. "The Buccaneer."

The next in line was a young man with only a coat, pants, and boots of animal hide and a crude, but deadly spear. "The Hunter."

Finally, the last man of the group was a bald man in his sixties with a short gray beard. This man's most interesting feature was his clean business suit; not even a single wrinkle. "The Manipulator."

The Outcast returned to his original position. "True, there are supposed to be _nine_ of you, but unfortunately, our last member won't be able to join us today. My minions are still working on…acquiring him."

Finally, one of the members spoke up. "Minions?" the Cyborg questioned. "What minions?" The Outcast lifted his palm out and on cue, three hideous beasts jumped out the shadows from the ground. Only a silhouette could be seen though, for they had a shroud of darkness specifically around them.

"These minions. Now, I bet you're wondering why you're-"

"Alright you landlubber!" the Buccaneer interrupted. "Out with it! Why did ya bring us here?" The Outcast sighed and continued.

"I require something from each of your worlds, something of power." He flung his hand again and eight sheets of paper hung in front of each villain. They each snatched it from the air and looked it over.

"So you want us to retrieve it for you?" the God guessed.

"If you can get it for me, then yes," the Outcast responded.

"And if we can't?" the Butler asked.

"I have a very good feeling that there will be certain people that don't want me to acquire these. For that reason, the least I ask of you is to stall them until I can get it myself."

A few murmured in agreement. "And what makes you think we'll help you? How do we know we can trust you?" the Scientist said accusingly. The Outcast grinned, although no one could tell.

"Because I'm not someone that will force you to do it for your life," he answered, making the beasts vanish with a snap of his fingers. "See, I've already looked into each of your hearts, and I have what you all desire." A spiral of smoke flew up from the center of the makeshift circle. When it parted, a large crystal ball stood on a fitting, ornate pedestal. The inside of the ball became cloudy and each person looking into the ball saw exactly what their hearts' desired. For one, it was treasure. For another, it was power. And for yet another, it was his deceased brothers. "Retrieve your respective items and each of your hearts' wishes shall be granted."

"But," the Hunter began, "how are we to complete our task?"

The Outcast sighed. "I guess one cannot delay the inevitable." He flung both palms out towards the group. Each person glowed a light blue haze and felt strengthened. "I've now given each of you the ability to control my creatures and an additional power you each will have to discover yourselves."

"And what if we fail?" the Manipulator wondered.

"If you fail, you won't be failing me, for I can simply get my monsters to do it instead, but I'd prefer not to lose too many of them. If you fail, you'll be failing yourselves," the Outcast answered matter-of-factly. To prove his point, the Outcast made a fist and flung it in the direction of the crystal ball. It exploded into several million bits of glass.

"Then I believe we'll all get right on it, sir," the Butler exclaimed.

"Not so fast," the Outcast halted with an outstretched palm. The remaining pedestal of the crystal ball melted and reformed into a round wooden table. "Have a seat, gentlemen. No need to rush things." Seeing the confused looks from his gang, he explained. "We still have time. Why don't we, say, study our opponents."

"Opponents?" the Scientist repeated.

"You see, gentlemen, this is all simply a large game…" A large diagram spread itself across the whole table. The game board was divided into several smaller squares like a chess board with twelve worlds mapped out across it: one on the far left, one on the far right, nine in a circle between them, and the last one in the center of the circle. Eight small wood-carved figures appeared from the Outcast's hand, each resembling one of the members, and placed them on the far right world. "…and so far, I have the star players. And these…" Four more figures materialized in his palm. Two resembled teenage boys, another looked like a teenage girl, and the last one almost seemed to look like a humanoid mouse. They were placed on the far left world. "…are our opponents." The Outcast glared at the mouse-looking one with a burning stare. "And now, we wait for the opponents to make the first move," he calmly explained as he leaned back in his tall chair.

"You're giving our enemies the first move?" the Cyborg exclaimed. "What kind of foolishness is that?"

"Of course. That way we can study our opponents movements, use it to our advantage, and when the time is right…" The Outcast stared at the world marked in the dead center. "…we call checkmate."

* * *

**_So, that sets the stage for the entire story. Anyways, better chapters have yet to come. Hopefully, once I get into the actual world-traveling, it will become more exciting. So, please don't give up on me yet._**

**_~Aros13_**


	2. The Master's Orders

"Atten-_shun_!" Goofy exclaimed.

"All rise for Master Yen Sid!" Donald finished. The elder wizard flung the door open with his palm and strode across the room. When he had seated himself, he ordered, "At ease, young Wielders." The legendary trio of friends brought their arms out of a salute. Sora and Kairi stood on opposite ends with Riku in the middle. He could tell through their refusal to speak to or look at each other that there was tension there, but now was not the time to wonder.

"As I'm sure you've guessed, I've called you here to ask for your help in eliminating a new threat. I will try to make this simple and to the point," Yen Sid proceeded. "When a person's heart is severed from their body, the heart is corrupted and turned into a Heartless while the body and soul left behind take on their own identity as a Nobody. When you destroyed a Heartless and a Nobody, you released the corrupted heart and body respectively. When you release a heart and its respective body, they find each other once again and form the original being, as with Xehanort." He paused, figuring out how to break the following news to them. "However, I'm afraid there were far too many of the beasts and…most of the hearts and bodies you released did not match."

The three were visibly shocked by this. "What?!" Sora groaned. "So all of it was for nothing?!"

"No, Sora. Without your help, the Heartless and Nobodies would've outnumbered and overwhelmed us. And still, several people were revived. The entire Organization XIII was only revived because they had powerful hearts that were easily able to find their respective body. Unfortunately, though…this means there are thousands of homeless hearts and souls wandering aimlessly into oblivion."

"So, um, where does the 'threat' come in?" Kairi sheepishly asked.

"As the hearts and bodies cannot find each other, they settle for the next best thing: the first ones they encounter. You see, every heart, body, and soul is specifically designed for its respective being. However, when incorrectly matched, the result is…gruesome. For example, take Sora's heart and Riku's soul, and put them into Kairi's body. Sora's heart is not fitted to cooperate with Riku's soul, and Kairi's body is not built to contain them. The collision of these wandering parts becomes…this."

Three circles of light appeared on the floor to their right, like they had when the wizard explained the Nobodies. A hologram of each teen flashed to life in its hologram circle. Sora's body disappeared and left a brightly growing heart. Riku's body vanished as well and left a silvery wisp. The heart and soul proceeded to enter Kairi's body.

The effect was immediate. The image grew foggy and agitated. The heart and soul clashed to form a dark haze that continued to grow, enveloping Kairi's body. When the haze cleared, a new, hideous creature stood in her place.

It resembled a Neoshadow except its skin continued to shift between black, white, and gray in between. Its hands seemed to be twice as big as they should've been with large jagged claws, also doubled in size. The two antennae curved down and back around like a "c", but the newest feature was the gamma green light pulsing through its veins.

"These are the _Voided_."

"_Avoided_?" Sora repeated.

"_Voided_," Yen Sid corrected. "Nonexistent. Alive when they should not be. This is the side mission I am sending you three on to accomplish: to rerelease the captive and corrupted parts of the true being." Riku caught on.

"Side mission?"

The master nodded. "I have a larger goal in mind for you three. In fact, upon completion, we may even have an inkling or two to go by as to the mastermind behind the _Voided_." Before they could ask, he raised his hand to stop them and answered. "The _Voided_, like our previous threats, are mindless and therefore act upon a greater power's request. I'd like you three to gather any and all possible information on this greater power on your quests."

"Alright, so what's-" Sora began, but stopped himself. "Wait, quests?!" he inquired, putting emphasis on the "s". "As in, more than one?"

"I've assigned each of you a specific objective I ask you complete on your own. In fact…I'd like to discuss it to each of you in private." He turned to Riku and Sora. "Sora and Riku, would you step out for a moment?"

"Sure," Sora said, aiming a slight glare towards Kairi. "C'mon Donald. Goofy," he remarked, walking to the door. Donald and Goofy nearly obeyed when Yen Sid replied, "Actually, I have assigned Donald and Goofy to accompany Kairi on her journey this time." Sora spun around.

"What? But Donald and Goofy-"

"-helped you as you were starting out as a Keyblade wielder," Yen Sid interrupted. "You've shown you can clearly handle yourself, and now Kairi needs guidance as well. I am aware you three have grown to become close friends through your adventures, but for her safety, I'm assigning them with Kairi. End of discussion."

Sora looked disappointed and almost began arguing again, but decided against it. With a final glare exchanged between him and Kairi, he exited the chamber with Riku following close behind.

* * *

When Sora and Riku had left, Kairi turned back to face Yen Sid.

"Master Yen Sid-" she began, but the sorcerer raised his hand to stop her.

"Now, I will discuss your mission and nothing else," he declared. "Your mission will be the same as Sora's on his first journey. As you are a beginner, I ask that you gain field experience in your travels. New worlds in danger of being consumed by darkness have been brought to my attention. As I told Sora," he said, nodding to the door, "Donald and Goofy shall accompany you." He tried going on, but Kairi interrupted.

"So when can I customize my Keyblade?" she asked, very enthusiastically and clearly stunning the Master for a moment.

"Beg pardon?"

"Sora and Riku keep getting those new keychains and making their Keyblades look awesome! When can I do that?" Yen Sid's head fell.

"Kairi, being a Guardian of the Light is not about making our Keyblades look…'awesome'…but if you must know, they acquire their keychains through the deeds and protection they offer each world and the people there." She stared at him intently as if expecting more, so he went on. "If you perform well enough in the worlds you visit…maybe you will get a keychain as well."

"Cool!" Kairi exclaimed. "So when do we leave?"

Yen Sid chuckled. "Sora's upbeat attitude has clearly rubbed off on you." At the mention of his name, Kairi scowled. "Alright," the Master said, "you may depart. The Gummi Ship is waiting outside."

"Alright, guys," Kairi said to her new companions. "Let's go!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Ah, ah, ah," Donald piped up. "There's something you gotta do first if you wanna travel with us." He and Goofy exchanged a glance and stifled a simultaneous laugh.

"No frowning! That's our only rule," Goofy explained. "Only happy faces!" To demonstrate, he and Donald put their faces next to each other and made a silly face. "Don't worry, Sora had to go through the same thing."

Kairi looked confused from one to the other and sighed. She hung her head and when she pulled it back up, she gave off the cheesiest, goofiest grin she'd ever made. Holding the face, she glanced towards Donald and Goofy for approval. They went into a laughing fit, making her laugh as well. "So can we go now?" she asked through her chuckling.

"Sure thing," Goofy replied.

The new trio headed for the door, but Yen Sid had one more thing to advise.

"Oh, Kairi, one last thing." She turned to face him. "This mission, as well as the duties of a Keyblade Wielder, require your absolute attention. You cannot cloud your mind with distractions of doubts, wonders…even love can distract you from your goal." He winked to her on the word 'love'. "Clear your mind and the pressure of your journey will be lessened." Before Kairi could react, he dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

Kairi tried to figure out how he had known about…_that_ all the way down the tower steps. On the bottom floor, they passed the other Keyblade Wielders, a quick tense glance exchanged between Kairi and Sora. Outside, they found the Gummi Ship stationed by the steps. The cockpit opened, as if sensing their presence. "All aboard," Donald called out. Donald took the pilot's seat with Goofy arming the weapons panel, and Kairi sitting near the back by a panel of random colorful buttons. Knowing she had no clue what they were, Donald went ahead and advised, "Don't touch."

At last, Donald lifted the landing gear and activated the first set of preplanned coordinates. "Hang on, Kairi!" Goofy cried. In a flash of light, the Gummi Ship blasted off into the sky and into the Lanes Between. Kairi's first official journey had finally begun.

* * *

**And so, the official story begins! The beginnings of these with all the explanations and lecturing takes forever for me to word correctly. But now that it's off the ground (get it? Cuz the Gummi Ship flew off :P), it will definitely be easier from this point...**


	3. The First World

**The First World**

They waited patiently, gathered around that wooden table-map. Most of the villains were growing quite bored as they waited "for their opponents to make the first move." The Outcast had clasped his hands together and brought it to his forehead, patiently waiting and deep in thought. At last, something happened.

The figure of the girl was slowly, but surely, sliding across the table by itself. The other three figures had begun to move as well, each sliding by itself to a different area of the board. The villains watched intently at this "first move," each wondering what exactly _their_ move would be next. The Outcast stared at the figures without uttering a word, studying exactly which path each figure had taken. Finally, he spoke.

"Alright, I see our opponents have had their turn. Time for us to do the same." He looked around the table at each individual member. "You, you, and you," his metallic voice announced, pointing towards the God, the Buccaneer, and the Hunter respectively. "According to the playing field, these three are headed to your respective worlds. I'm sending you three to intercept them and, of course, retrieve what I need. Understood?"

All three nodded.

The Outcast cast a black spiral above their heads and sucked them inside. "They will each arrive at their own worlds shortly," he answered in response to the confused faces of the remaining members. "Meanwhile…" The Outcast spun his hands in the air. In response, black clouds appeared over each world portrayed on the map, save for the Mysterious Tower, the Graveyard, and the center world. "My Voided minions are now in position."

He resumed his hands in the manner they were before. As he stared at the board, three of the figures he'd placed for the villains began to slide as well. "It appears the game…has begun."

* * *

"You realize what you've done? What you've started?" a thundering voice echoed through the spherical room.

"I was protecting my home!" a second voice responded.

"You cannot even protect your friends! How can you hope to protect a kingdom?"

The owner of the first voice stood in the center of the room. His aged, battle-worn face looked upon his son, the second voice, in anger. His white hair flowed from his head and his beard in a regal manner, as he _was _the king. The old man dressed in brilliantly golden armor to match both his golden staff and his eye patch.

"There won't BE a kingdom if you're afraid to act!" his son shouted back. His long blonde hair was razzled by the fight he had returned from, though one could easily tell by the scratches and dents made in his own silver armor. Chain-mail ran down his full body, easily fitting together in diamond shaped patterns, with a silver breastplate across his chest. The breastplate held in place two circular disks across his torso and two across his shoulders. The man gripped tightly to the leather grip of his perfectly forged, stone hammer.

"You've forgotten everything I taught you. About a warrior's patience!" the father argued back.

"While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us. The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while our land falls," the young man replied.

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!"

"And you are an old man and a fool!"

The father stood silent at this, gazing about the domed room and its golden plated walls. "Yes," he muttered, "I was a fool…to think you were ready." The second son, unspoken til this moment, tried to reason with the king.

"Father—" he began, but the king cut him off with a growl. The black-haired son slinked back up against the wall.

The old man stared toward his son. "You have betrayed the express command of your king," he said calmly. The son couldn't see where this was going. "Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!"

The king took up his staff and stabbed it into the center of the room. Electricity burst from the tip, spreading to all sides of the room. The king stepped up to his son. "You are…unworthy of these realms!" He ripped both plates from his shoulders, the leftover space sizzling with sparks. "You're unworthy of your title!" With a single hand, he ripped off the blood-red cape from across the man's back. "You're unworthy…" The father stared deep into his son's eyes. "…of the loved ones…you have betrayed." The king turned back and returned to the staff, still crackling bursts of lightning across the room.

"I now take from you your power!" The stone hammer in the son's hand flew from his palm into the father's. The lightning from the center staff joined together behind the man, creating a swirling vortex of crackling energy.

"In the name of my father…" The chain-mail down son's right arm broke apart, link by diamond link.

"…and his father before…" The same happened to the left arm, shattering off and leaving it bare-skinned.

"…I, Odin Allfather…" The son watched on in fear at his father's display of power.

"…cast you out!"

A super surge of electricity blew from the hammer and blasted the son square in the chest. The remaining armor was blown apart from his body and he was slammed backwards into the vortex. The vortex pulled him into a tunnel of swirling energy and blasting light.

The king held the hammer to his lips and whispered to it, "Whoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." The hammer glowed with a subtle blue light before the king threw it with all his might into the vortex as well.

The infinite cosmos and all of the universe blurred past as the son and the hammer surged through the crackling tunnel of colored lightning. At last, the vortex reopened and blasted the man to the ground. It was all he could do to stand up before he found himself slammed against the windshield of a truck…

_**~Asgard~**_

"Um, guys," Kairi inquired, "where exactly…are we?" The Gummi Ship had deposited them on this world in the middle of a desert. Sparse grass and sand in every direction.

"Um…" Donald looked around, searching for an answer.

"Hey," Goofy pointed out, "what's that over there?" In the distance appeared to be a small group of men cheering on something.

"Well, it's the only shot we have," Kairi stated. "Plus…" She took a big whiff of the air. "…smells like something's cookin'."

They started towards the group of men and as they grew closer, they made sense of two more things: the group was surrounding a large, deep crater, and they were all rednecks. The trio finally came upon the cheering crowd, already dehydrated from the desert sun.

"Excuse me," Kairi spoke up, tapping a man on the shoulder. He turned around, showing off his gristly face, thick belly, and a can of beer in his hand. "Have you seen any weird black creatures or strange happenings around here?" Saying it out loud made her realize how crazy she must've sounded.

"Nope, can't say I have," the man replied.

"Okay then, where exactly is the closest town?"

"Travelers, huh? Yeah, _Puente __Antiguo_, just follow that direction and you'll stumble across it," he answered, pointing with a dusty finger to her left.

"Thank you," Kairi said politely.

She turned around to find her companions gone. She scanned the crowd and found them attempting to swipe a few hot dogs from a man's grill. The girl rolled her eyes and headed towards them. On the way around the crater, she took a second to see what exactly was going on down there.

Kairi observed the bizarre scene: a stone hammer was embedded in a stone in the center of the crater. Men kept taking turns grasping the leather grip and attempting to pull it out. A few people were getting tired of the routine and wrapped a chain around it several times. They hooked the chain up to a truck sitting out of the crater and gave the signal for the driver to punch it. The truck didn't go six feet before the bed of the truck was literally ripped off from the hammer's strength. The crowd laughed and hollered at the sight. _Odd_, Kairi thought, _how does something immovable even get there in the first place?_

She was brought back from her thoughts at the shout of "Hey, you!" She turned her attention to Donald and Goofy, running away with hot dogs in the arms from a man waving a cleaver in their direction. Kairi went to intercept them. "Alright, the nearest town is off in that direction. Maybe we'll find the Voided there." She stared down at the hot dogs. "I couldn't possibly eat something stolen…" she told herself. "…Hand one over."

* * *

The group arrived at the small, tumbleweed town of "_Puente Antiguo_," greeted by the bright green road sign signaling the town border. It had the feel of a place right out of a Western film, though modernized with diners, garages, and various apartments.

"I bet this place is pretty spooky at night," Goofy muttered.

"So, we look for Voided now?" Kairi inquired, stepping inside the town line.

"I suppose so," Donald quacked, follow the rookie Keyblader. They walked up and down the paved streets, passing onlookers giving them strange looks. After surveying the entire town, they took a pause beside a diner. "This world looks clean so far," Kairi pointed out. "Maybe we're already good here?"

"Master Yen Sid has yet to be wrong," Goofy stated. "There must be somethin' here…"

Suddenly, a group of five Voided materialized around them, startling the group. Weapons flashed to life.

"Finally!" Kairi exclaimed, grasping the Keyblade with both hands and holding it in the style she'd always seen Sora using. However, before anyone could attack, a man burst out of the diner and shouted, "Jotuns!"

"Yo-tins?" Kairi asked back. The man was super fit with blonde hair down to his shoulders and a stubbly beard. His muscles were tightly fit into a clearly too-small shirt. "Get back inside!" Kairi shouted. "We'll take care of this."

The man didn't run, nor did he hide; he threw back his head and gave a hearty laugh. Not the reaction Kairi was expecting.

"Foolish mortals," he exclaimed with a regal, arrogant tone. He stepped forward and pushed the three heroes aside. "I will allow you the privilege of watching as I destroy these beasts and crush their bones in my very hands." By now, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy were all stumped. _Was this man a Keyblade Wielder himself?_ Kairi thought. _Maybe he'll actually fight better than us._

However, the buff man didn't sling out a Keyblade, or any weapon at all. He roared…and punched one. "You've gotta be kidding me," Kairi remarked. "He's trying to kill them with his fists?"

"Well, he did say he would—what was it?—rip their bones apart with his hands?" Goofy added. The Voided was unfazed by the punch and in one swift move, spun onto its head and delivered a spinning kick to the man's jaw.

He staggered to the side as Kairi and Donald went to help him. They tried to help him up by his arms, but he pulled them away and stood himself up. Kairi didn't have time for this.

"Get back in the diner where it's safe," she said sternly.

"You suggest I retreat as a coward? You question my ability to handle these cretins?"

She stared him in the eyes. "Go!"

The stubborn snob scowled, but took her order and retreated into the diner.

"Alright," Kairi finished, producing her Keyblade once more, "let's do it for real this time."


	4. The Prince of Asgard

**The Prince of Asgard**

The Voided were definitely unique adversaries: the way they fought seemed to combine the ferocity of a Heartless with the precision of a Nobody. When Kairi took her first swing, her target ducked and glided to her left. She swung around and caught a hit. It wasn't enough though. The Voided reeled back and gave its teammate a chance to leap on her in surprise. Kairi caught sight of it from the corner of her eye and rolled out of the way.

Donald and Goofy were busy adapting to the new enemy as well. Donald blasted a homing Firaga spell, but the Voided slid around behind him. Donald got a beakful of flames and the Voided aught him in the back with its claws.

Goofy's opponent hit a volley of clawed swipes and kicks against his sturdy shield. Finally, Goofy charged forward, slamming it against the wall, and jumped back. He grabbed his shield by the edge and flung it like a frisbee, bashing the Voided across the head and destroying it. The shield returned to Goofy who hyucked in triumph.

Kairi returned focus to her two targets. She made an overhead swing to the first as it brought around a vicious kick. Both attacks connected and parried each other, making them both bounce off and stagger. Kairi tried again and hit. She followed up with a thrust and a full 360-swing. The Voided vaporized into black smoke and dissipated into the air. _Huh, I guess Sora's technique isn't half bad_, she thought. _Of course, it could always be a bit improved_.

To the second Voided, she made two swipes across its body like an X, thrust, and made a full arc over her, bringing Destiny's Embrace crashing down through its head. The weapon made a vertical cut down its body and vaporized it. The youth smiled at this.

She suddenly heard Goofy call her attention and point towards Donald. He was slumped over on the ground with stars circling his head. The remaining two Voided went in for further damage. "Kairi!" Goofy exclaimed. "Your Potion!" The girl dug in her pouch and pulled out a "Potion" as they called it. It was a small indigo bottle with dots of white scattered across its surface and a large green star in the center. Kairi had a vague sense of what she had to do with it and gave it a shot.

Kairi squeezed the bottle until it was easily crushed into sparkling green dust. She tossed the mound of dust into the air and shouted, "Donald!" The dust visibly swirled in the air and flew towards the fallen duck. It formed itself in the shape of a vibrant green leaf and cascaded over his body. The stars vanished from his head and he jumped up with an energetic quack just in time. Angrily, he jabbed his finger in the air and bolts of lightning blasted the Voided on the spot.

The street was secure. Their weapons vanished and the trio regrouped.

"Great job, guys," Kairi congratulated.

"You too," Donald replied.

"And great positive attitude," Goofy acknowledged. They all laughed, but the moment was interrupted by a slow, condescending clap. The source: Mr. Muscles.

"I must say," he began, "well done. You handled yourself like notable warriors…You must not be from this land, though I am unaware of your presence in Asgard. From where do you three hail from?" The trio looked to one another in confusion.

"Um, I'm sorry?" Kairi cautiously asked.

"What are you doing out here?" another voice exclaimed. A woman exited the diner as well, running up to her friend. "I thought I asked you to wait inside," the woman said to him.

"And you thought I would follow such an order?"

She was thin and tall, though the man still towered above her. She wore a long sleeved plaid pink coat with a shaggy gray scarf around her neck. The woman massaged her temple in exasperation and turned to them.

"I'm sorry about him," she apologized. "It's a long, crazy story."

Kairi scoffed. "Our lives are a long, crazy story," she muttered. "What's the deal?"

The woman leaned in and said with a voice trying not to sound crazy, "He thinks he's Thor."

"Like Thor of those Viking myths?"

"Yeah, it's complicated—"

"I tell you, I AM Thor!" the man shouted.

"I'm really sorry if he's bothered you," the woman said, trying to pull "Thor" to follow her. "I'm Jane, by the way," Jane introduced. Thor eyed them over again and followed Jane away.

"Man, weird place," Kairi commented. "First that hammer, then this?"

"Trust me, it could get weirder," Goofy put in. Thor stopped, turned around abruptly, and approached them again.

"This hammer you speak of, what are its whereabouts?" Donald pointed the way they came.

"Just out that way, dead ahead."

Jane caught up again.

"Jane, I require the use of a vehicle."

"Oh, no," Jane denied, "you need to get back to the garage and rest so we can figure out what happened with you. We're so close!" Thor looked from Jane to the town limits, and then to Donald. Finally, calmly and without a word, he began walking toward the desert. Jane ran up to him. "What are you doing?"

"If I cannot use the aid of a vehicle, walking will do fair enough." They bickered quietly for a bit as the friends stood awkwardly, wondering what exactly they should do. Jane finally stormed off and Thor beckoned them over.

"You three! With your skill to back up mine, I may need your assistance in retrieving my hammer!" he shouted. Kairi, Donald, and Goofy closed the distance and walked beside him now, venturing out into the desert.

"_Your_ hammer?" Kairi asked. "You put that there?"

"My father did, not I," Thor responded. "I would rather not delve into the tale." They began simply following the road, the sun casting no mercy upon them. "You three never answered my question," he finally stated. "You three are clearly not from this world nor mine. Where is it you hail from?"

Kairi looked to Donald and Goofy in question. She had been informed by them that they were highly against telling people of the other worlds' existence and tried to keep their status as world travelers a secret (though Sora had failed quite a bit at this). "Well," Kairi whispered to them, "he's already aware of the other worlds, so why not?" The other two looked to each other and shrugged. "Um, yeah," she answered back to Thor, "you caught us. We're from other worlds."

"I figured as such. Your attire and weapons are certainly nothing from my knowledge." They walked in silence down the barren road for a few minutes before Kairi jumpstarted a new conversation…

"So you really are Thor, aren't you?" Thor chuckled at this.

"At last, someone has belief in my words!"

"So you must be from a different world too?"

"Yes and no. My homeland, nay, my kingdom, Asgard, is the highest ruling of all nine realms. For some reason though…" He stared into the cloudless blue sky. "…this world, Midgard we call it, seems to have a stronger connection to Asgard than others. Almost like this world and mine are nearly conjoined."

"So, in Asgard, were there any shadowy or suspicious characters you can think of?"

"Other than my brother, Loki?" Thor answered with a grin and laughed. "Only joking. They are not of our world, but the Jotuns come to mind."

"Oh, right," Kairi thought back, "you shouted that when you came out of the diner, right? What's a Jotun?" A sinister look came across Thor's eyes.

"The Jotuns are a deceitful and cunning race from Jotunheim. Long ago, my father waged war with them and forced them to leave Asgard be by plundering a very powerful and ancient artifact of theirs: the Casket of Ancient Winters. Recently, at my coronation to become Asgard's admired king, they infiltrated our world and attempted to steal back the Casket."

"What did they look like?" Kairi asked.

"They live in the cold darkness of shadows. They bear hideous dark faces mostly of frozen skin and wield weapons of deadly ice." Six Voided suddenly surrounded them. "Just like that!"

Kairi was stunned for a moment by their appearance, but quickly flashed out Destiny's Embrace. The first Voided was a calm gray color with ice shoulder pads, arm cuffs, anklets, a helmet, and a belt. Two prongs like antennae protruded from the helmet, curving up then back. Its right arm carried the weight of a rectangular shield, also made of ice, and bearing the Voided insignia. In its left hand, a spear with a deadly, jagged, purple tip. Lastly, its eyes were a dark blue and ice skates grew from the bottom of its feet. Wherever its foot skated, ice trailed behind (_Jotun Soldier_).

The second was on all fours. Three curved claws tapped impatiently at the ground on all four pitch-black paws and a helmet similar to the first fitted around its own head. Its fur was gray, save for its indigo midsection, and its tail ended in a three-prong ice trident. Shackles with broken chains were clasped around all four legs and a metal collar around the beast's neck. The symbol on its stomach glowed purple while its eyes were a steady light-blue (_Jotun Beast_). There were three of each kind.

"Thor, move on ahead," Kairi exclaimed. "We'll cover you." Thor nodded and ran ahead. Two of the animal-Voided chased after, but Donald shot a Blizzaga to stop them. Upon impact, the beasts weren't harmed at all, though it at least got their attention. Kairi ran in and stabbed one, following with an overhead swing to the next. The first beast got back up and flicked its tail in her direction. Three icicles shot from the prongs and hit her. When they did, the icicles shrouded her in a blue haze and froze her in a large chunk of ice. One of the soldier-Voided skated up to her and bashed the frozen girl with its shield while a beast-Voided slashed at her with its black claws. The ice around her shattered and Kairi staggered from the damage.

Donald, meanwhile, summoned power to his staff and unleashed a Firaga Burst. The fireballs homed in on the remaining two soldier-Voided and destroyed them. He then blasted a Thundaga to the beast-Voided and paralyzed it. Goofy took the opening and slammed it repeatedly with his Knight's Shield. It burst into cold, blue dust. The duo headed over to Kairi to help her with her three opponents.

Donald Paralyzed a beast-Voided just as it leaped toward them and Kairi did a mid-air combo. With a final stab through its chest, it dissipated. The last beast-Voided leapt toward Kairi, claws extended, but she brought her Keyblade around and blocked it. Kairi made two consecutive combos and destroyed it.

The final soldier-Voided stood back and braced itself to attack. The trio was about to attack when…**BAM!** A truck sped out of nowhere and plowed straight through it. The truck skidded quickly to a stop and Jane flung out of the drivers seat. "Oh my God, who did I hit THIS time?!" she worriedly exclaimed. "Twice in less than a week?! What's wrong with me?" she muttered as she inspected the dust equivalent of Voided guts splattered across the hood.

The trio headed over. "Don't worry about it. What are you doing out here?" Kairi said as they approached.

"I'll fill you guys in as we go," Jane replied, no longer focused on the hood. "Get in," she said, putting herself back in the drivers seat. The three obeyed and crammed into the backseat. Jane fired the engine back up and sped down the road.

* * *

The God sat on his throne of ice, thinking intently on the matter. The Outcast had sent him to retrieve a sacred artifact of his people, though things weren't going according to plan. For one, the item was in the possession of their enemies. He'd sent two "rogue" scouts to steal it back, but they had been caught. If that wasn't enough, the reckless son of Odin had come demanding for his surrender for breaking their peace treaty. After Odin's intervention, they were now at war once more. He had to get that Casket somehow…

A figure slowly approached him. The figure stopped near the throne and stared at the God right in his dark, red eyes. He was dressed in gold and green armor with black hair slicked back. The God could see treachery and mischief in his grin. "Why have you come to this place?" the God asked in almost a whisper.

"I have a preposition for you," the young man answered. "It includes the retrieval of your Casket and exacting revenge on Odin."

Laufey cracked a faint grin. "I'm listening…"

* * *

_New Voided Entries:  
**Mismatch-  
**_/art/KH-ToF-Mismatch-356980209  
_**Jotun Soldier-  
**_/art/KH-ToF-Jotun-Soldier-358637005  
_**Jotun Beast-  
**_/art/KH-ToF-Jotun-Beast-358637735

* * *

_**So**** first off, I've noticed how several fanfics depict Potions, Ethers, Elixers, etc. as a drink (most likely due to just the name: Potion). It got me wondering about it...and I decided to take my own approach since 1. I doubt the gang is able to uncork it and chug the thing in the midst of a battle and 2. they have to throw it in the air for it to work (yes, I know it's probably cuz Square had to allow the player to use it quickly at a moment's notice, but still, I just felt I should be accurate in the middle of a fight). So I came up with this little explanation.  
**__**Secondly, I just felt the need to inform you all that I've made FORTY different kinds of Voided: four unique ones to each world, three Voided bosses, and one generic type (such as the Shadows and Dusks for the Heartless and Nobodies respectively). As I went through the liberty of designing them all, I decided to share what I see with the reader. Therefore, I will be uploading drawings of my creations over my deviantArt account, for which I will provide links to each Voided as each is introduced, such as the first three in this chapter (it will not allow me to use the whole url, so simply add deviantArt-dot-com to the beginning).  
**__**And lastly, of course, thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy it and tune in to the story.**_

_**~Aros13**_


	5. SHIELD

**S.H.I.E.L.D.**

Along the road, they passed Thor and picked him up in the passenger's seat. As they drove, Jane recounted her tale and change of mind. "So if we've got this right," Kairi began, "you returned to your garage to find a bunch of secret service agents there?"

"And they were looting away all your tech and data?" Donald continued.

"And you found out they were in possession of the hammer running tests on it?" Goofy followed up.

"So you decided to help me retrieve it," Thor concluded.

"Well," Jane corrected, "more or less. I just want to show them who they're messing with. And hopefully, I'd like to retrieve my stuff."

* * *

It had fallen to night when they reached the hammer's location. Unfortunately, Jane was right. This secret service had set up an entire facility and laboratory inside the crater. People were bustling around, whether scouting out intruders or relaying information through tubes with walls of clear plastic surrounding the hammer's central area. "Man, they set this up fast," Kairi whispered as the five of them hid behind the lip of the crater's edge.

"Alright, Thor, what's your plan?" Jane inquired.

"Get my power back," he answered simply and headed toward the base.

"I'll back him up," Kairi stated, "Donald, Goofy, watch over Jane." With that, she hurried after Thor into the crater. They flattened themselves against the back of a shipping container and Thor stealthily peeked out. The sky grew darker with impeding clouds and Thor grinned when a bolt of thunder echoed in the distance. Without warning, an entire blanket of rain began to cascade over the desert as the large man ducked into the first tube of the lab, Kairi following in short pursuit. A guard turned the corner.

Before the Keyblader nor the guard could flinch, Thor tackled the man and threw him over his back. Kairi had had just the faintest thought that they could've made it all the way to the hammer if they hadn't drawn attention. The remnants of that idea were crushed under the heel of Thor's desire to fight his way through.

A second guard ran up to them and grabbed the man across the back. He slipped out of the guard's grip, spun him in a headlock, and threw him into the first guard. "Hey, leave some for me!" Kairi teased. Thor turned to her and eyed her up and down.

"Wait outside and…take care of anybody out there. I'll handle it in here." Though he didn't say it, Kairi could tell he thought she was just dead weight and gave her a "task" to keep her out of his way.

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed, and headed back out into the storm.

The ground was now muddy and slick. Kairi was careful to keep her footing and examined the grounds. The few people outside ran to get shelter from the elements…all but one. A single, conspicuous man was running _into_ the rain from the back of a truck. The lean man rushed to a single lift held by four chords and hopped in. Apparently, that was the signal for the crane holding it to lift him high into the air. Kairi watched him closely as he pulled out a large bow and notched an arrow. The girl caught sight of Thor through the plastic tubes as he hurried through them, guards by the dozen racing after. It looked like the archer noticed him as well, swinging the bow to face his direction.

"Oh no you don't!" Kairi shouted and summoned up Destiny's Embrace. She jumped to the roof of a truck and leapt toward the lift, her hair crazily flapping in the wind. The jump had nearly missed, but the tip of the Keyblade connected with the bottom of the lift and made all the difference. The girl rolled into her landing, sliding with the mud as the archer was thrashed about from the momentum of her attack. Then he spotted her.

The archer pulled the arrow back and fired…in Kairi's direction. The swing of the lift threw off his aim, but he was still frighteningly close. It scared her to think of his aim _without _the disrupting momentum. She jumped away and ducked behind another container, dodging a stream of arrows slamming into the mud. The attacks stopped coming; he must be focused back on Thor.

Kairi just had to hold off the archer until Thor could reach the hammer. She ran out from behind the container, but slipped and fell with a grunt. After standing herself back up and clawing grime from her slippery body, the youth did the same routine, jumping from the truck, but this time used an aerial combo. After striking the lift three more times in succession, the man returned his gaze to her. It was incredible how accurate he was, even in a spinning lift.

At last, soaked completely through, Kairi jumped toward him one last time. This time however, she spun and jabbed her Keyblade in the air, exclaiming "Stop!" A ring of white diamonds spun around her and dispersed outwards in a flash of light. She landed on her feet, and stumbled into the mud this time. As Kairi stood up, she looked back at the man in the lift. He didn't swing around to fire at her again. He didn't move at all. The archer was frozen where he stood. Kairi beamed at her victory, but the satisfaction was quickly replaced by confusion. She stared at her Keyblade. "Did…did I do that?...How?" she wondered aloud.

Thor, meanwhile, was wrestling with a much larger fellow in the muddiness as well. He overpowered the man with a swift, but powerful kick to the chest, knocking him unconscious and slamming him into the muck. Thor nodded toward Kairi, who quickly hurried to him. "You're welcome," she muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, nothing."

The two heroes triumphantly approached the center of the facility, where the hammer lay open to the stormy winds and rain. Thor stepped into the boxed off area and stared at his hammer, still embedded in stone. He grinned as he circled it, his dirty locks waving across his face and adding a handsome feature to him. Kairi took notice of several more fed agents gathering around to watch, though none tried to stop them. _They want to see how this plays out_, Kairi figured.

Finally, Thor grasped his palm around the leather grip connected to the weapon and pulled. Immediately, something was wrong. Thor's face turned to sudden confusion and worry as he tugged on the handle over and over again, this time placing both hands around it. He yanked back with all his might, groaning with strength though the hammer would not budge. Kairi wasn't too sure, but the storm seemed to grow worse, the winds ripping through much faster and the rain blasting down on them all.

Thor was broken. At last, he let go and stared at his palms. It pained the youth to watch as this fiercely determined man stared with anger into the sky and roared furiously! Abandoning his thoughts on everything else in the crater, he knelt down next to the immovable hammer, broken in spirit. The head fed spoke into a walkie-talkie and the duo were quickly overcome by guards. Their mission had failed.

* * *

_**Yes, I took advantage of a Hawkeye cameo and turned him into a mini-boss for Kairi. That will be all.**_

**_~Aros13_**


	6. A Disciplined King

**A Disciplined King**

The girl with dark red hair falling perfectly down her back sat in her cell, forlorn. It was bleak with gray walls on all sides except one. This wall was a full window to observe her with a sliding glass door on one end, the only exit. The only thing in the room was a chair on which she sat. According to the man who'd put Kairi in here, she would be interrogated as soon as they were done with Thor's questioning. Something about demanding to know how she subdued their archery ace.

So as soon as he left and no one was watching, Kairi whipped out her Keyblade and decided to break out, swinging it around to unlock the mechanism on the door. Then, things got weird: Destiny's Embrace wouldn't work. It was supposed to unlock any lock, right? Shocked, she went into panic, attacking the window and sliding door over and over. Not a single scratch was made.

_Oh, man_, Kairi thought, _I screwed up. We were only supposed to gain training, fight Voided, and keep our hero status under the radar...Now we-I-am wrapped up in this?_ So now, Kairi sat in this cell, hoping this agency would get this over with. Suddenly, the door slid open and a large, intimidating guard (perhaps he was supposed to be so she wouldn't get any ideas) stepped in.

"Come with me," he grumbled. The more Kairi tried to read his face, the harder it became. He held no emotion in his face as Kairi tried to determine what was about to happen. With lead-laden steps, she followed the guard through the facility. Funny how these people had not only built this mini-laboratory right here in the crater, but a containment unit just in case a Norse god and a key-wielding world traveler decided to raid the hammer. Trekking through the muck once more, they reached a small (dry) computer area with both Thor and the middle-aged head agent speaking with...

"Jane?" Kairi said aloud. The three of them turned their attention to her. A broad smile came across Jane and she ran to hug her.

"Audrey!" Jane exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"What are you-"

"Shh, shh, you don't need to apologize." Jane pulled Kairi close and whispered, "Play along."

Kairi understood and cried, "I'm so so sorry for...what it was I did!"

"It's okay, we're going home now." Jane turned to the agent with a pleading look. "We _may_ leave, right?"

The agent watched their performance intently and silently examined each of them for a moment. "Yes, you may leave. But you keep him under control," he finally answered, pointing to Thor who had been wordless the whole time. He held a stern, aggravated expression, but there was sadness in it, too. They were quiet on the way out of the crater, back to Jane's truck, where Donald and Goofy were waiting. They tackled Kairi in a hug.

"We were so worried about you!" Donald exclaimed. He immediately caught himself. "I mean, Master Yen Sid and Sora would kill us if something happened to you," he quickly added, releasing his hug.

"Right, like Sora cares," Kairi mumbled, rolling her eyes. They all piled in the truck and headed back to town, leaving the hammer in someone else's possession.

Goofy popped the question: "How'd you guys escape?"

"Yeah, Jane, how'd you get us out?"

Jane chuckled. "I told them Thor was a drunk colleague of mine, and you were my sister who tagged along for thrills."

"Oh..." Kairi turned to Thor. "I'm sorry about your hammer, by the way." Thor said nothing for the entire ride back. They sat in that silence, almost scared to speak. The dark kept rolling past their windows, as if confining everyone's thoughts within it.

* * *

At last, the green road sign came into the headlights' view as they drove into town. "You're welcome to stay in my garage for the night," Jane had offered, ready to fall asleep on the spot.

"No thanks, we've got a place," Kairi replied. Without objection, Jane retired to a trailer-home sitting nearby.

"We should get back to the Gummi Ship," Donald said, pulling out a small remote. Kairi didn't hear him, focusing on Thor who just stood out in the lonely road, staring into the sky.

"Huh? Oh, you guys go on ahead," she said back to them.

"Okay," Donald complied, "but don't take too long." He pushed the button and tossed the remote to the girl. The two companions were wrapped in a green light and vanished. Kairi caught the remote and approached the broken man.

"Thor...don't be mad about-"

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted.

"What?"

"The hammer...It doesn't matter." He paused. "I can't return to Asgard anyway."

"What? Why!" Kairi exclaimed.

"In my cell, my brother Loki appeared to me with news of my world. My father...My father is dead, and because of my actions, Jotunheim only agrees to reform our truce on the condition that I stay banished," Thor explained, almost choked up. He stared into the sky, fell to his knees, and shouted, "Are you happy, Father! To bring me down so low and force me to pay for my actions! And to bring my power so close and keep it just out of reach!"

"This is exactly what you need, you know," Kairi spoke up. Thor gritted his teeth towards her.

"You dare say I deserve this?"

"No, this is what you need: discipline. It's no secret you think yourself higher than everyone else. You grew up as a spoiled, rash prince with no disregard for others," she went on. She decided she wouldn't try to sugarcoat anything: he needed to hear this. "As a king, you need to respect your subjects as they would respect you. You honor and give to those who need your leadership, not the other way around."

By his unchanged expression, Kairi saw she wasn't getting anywhere. He stared down at the ground. "Thor, the world isn't here to serve you. You're here to serve the world. From where I'm standing, this is the only way to discipline you. To show you that." He said nothing. Kairi sighed and gave up. The girl stared at the remote in her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow," she finally said. With that, Kairi pushed the button and returned to the Gummi Ship.

* * *

The cabin of the ship hovering over in the Lanes Between had transformed into a bedroom with bunk beds on either side. A curtain ran down the middle and the two animal companions were sitting on their beds talking, Donald on the top bunk. When they saw her appear, Goofy said, "We put this sheet up for ya...for your privacy...Ya know, bein' a girl after all."

"Thanks," she replied, sulking to her side.

"Of course, its just a quilt Donald's mom made him," he hyucked, chuckling. Donald hit him in the back of the head with his staff.

"You weren't supposed to tell her that!" Donald angrily quacked. Upon closer inspection, Kairi could in fact make out the stitch lines between different fabric designs and the words _"To my precious little Donald Ducky, with love and snuggles, Mama"_ sewn in the corner. She had to stifle a laugh at that.

"Hey, it was a last-minute thing!" Donald said in defense, blushing.

"Yeah, it's not like we needed it when we were with Sora," Goofy added. The cabin grew quiet as Kairi crawled into bed, stifling any further comment. Donald and Goofy peaked from behind the curtain.

"Hey!" Donald shouted. Kairi shifted herself to face them.

"What?"

"We're not blind, ya know!"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's something goin' on with you and Sora, isn't there?" Goofy said directly.

Kairi paused before turning away and saying, "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh please, we saw how you were acting towards each other at the Tower, and how you drop silent and make a grimace every time we bring him up!" Donald exclaimed.

"Last time we saw you two, it was clear ya had a fancy for each other," Goofy stated.

"What happened?" they both asked simultaneously.

The girl said nothing else, ending the conversation and curling up in the sheets. Soon, Donald and Goofy had returned to their own beds and shut off the cabin light. However, the windows into the darkness of space still let in starlight. Kairi stared out of the window next to her bunk. From her view, she could see _Midgard,_ as Thor had called it, across from them.

That's when she noticed the heavens for the first time. A large cloud hovered above the world as well. A distant gleaming city could be seen atop the cloud, waterfalls cascading over the side, dissipating in the oblivion. Gold, blue, white, and silver light radiated from the heavens simply floating there, shrouded from the eyes of the world beneath them. _Asgard_, Kairi thought.

It was beautiful. She laid her head down, staring at that remarkable place, and reaching down to touch her necklace. A necklace with a locket. A locket with a picture inside. A picture of herself with a dirty-blonde haired boy with stunning, green eyes and a cute, charming smile. "He happened..." Kairi whispered to finally answer their question. The starlight from the cosmos beyond danced in her eyes and finally lulled her to sleep.

* * *

"Allfather!" the warrioress proclaimed, walking into the throne room of Asgard followed by three more Norse warriors. "We must speak with you urgently-"

"My friends." Loki, the brother of Thor, was lounging across the golden throne of Asgardian royalty like he owned the place.

"Where is Odin?" the first of the three warriors exclaimed, a handsome blonde man.

"Father has fallen into Odinsleep. He is not dead, but Mother fears he will never awaken again," Loki answered, nonchallantly.

"We would speak with her-"

"She has refused to leave my father's bedside," Loki immediately interrupted, smoothing back his sleek, black hair. You can bring your urgent matter to me, your King." He grinned on this last word. The four Asgardians soldiers looked to one another and reluctantly kneeled.

"My King," the warrioress, Sif, began, "we would ask that you end Thor's banishment!"

"My first command cannot be to undo Odin's last. We're on the brink of war with Jotunheim," King Loki said, standing up. "All of us must stand together, for the good of Asgard."

"Yes," the handsome man, Fandral, agreed, "of course."

"Good." Loki sat back down. "You will wait for my word," he declared. The warriors left the throne room.

"Well...what shall we do?" the second, a large man with a brilliant red beard across his face, asked. They all turned to Sif, the warrioress.

After a pause to think, she said, "Things are not well here. We go retrieve Thor."

* * *

After the request to allow Thor to return, Loki descends into the depths of the castle. He arrived at the Casket Room, a dark slippery dungeon where they kept Jotunheim's prized treasure: the Casket of Ancient Winters. Soon, it would be in Laufey's hands, but first, Loki had to take care of a problem in his plan. A problem he called "his brother."

Loki approached the gate behind the pedestal the Casket stood on. The Casket itself was merely a large, cold brick with swirling blue energy inside it and handles on either side. But it was much more powerful than one would expect. However, Loki did not require the Casket at this moment. Only what was behind this gate.

"Ensure my brother does not return," Loki spoke to it. The gate opened and an automaton made of overlapping silver plates towered over the deceitful young man. "Destroy...everything." The Destroyer made a large whirring sound from within and set in motion its prime objective.

* * *

_**And so, I develop both the emotional stress of Thor and Kairi, and introduce a suspicious piece of evidence from Kairi's life back on the Islands. Oooh, a mysterious backstory! Maybe I'll go more in-depth on that in a later chapter...**_

_**~Aros13**_


End file.
